My Manor

"Here we are. Good night." The F650 stopped in front of a house in the town of Winthrop with a roar, and Cindy Clive jumped out of the car. Naturally, Jiang Hai also stepped out. Watching the pretty girl in front of him carrying two bags of beef, Jiang Hai hesitated for a moment. But Cindy was much more straightforward.

"If you want to eat beef or fish or anything else, feel free to come to my place—it's all you can eat," Cindy said with a chuckle.

Hearing her offer, Jiang Hai smiled and nodded. "Oh, well, thanks."

Seeing Jiang Hai's expression, Cindy laughed even more. She still couldn't quite figure him out, this big boy.

To be fair, Jiang Hai should be about the same age as her, but his shy demeanor made him seem much younger than his 27 years. If she hadn't seen his ID, Cindy might have thought he was a teenager.

Sometimes his thoughts and actions really didn't resemble those of an adult.

Jiang Hai could swear to the heavens that he was an adult, but mentally, he did admit to being a little childish. Unfortunately, this was quite common back in China—about 70% of people Jiang Hai's age weren't as mature as they should be. Many of them still clung to unrealistic dreams, spent money recklessly, and acted more on impulse than reason. People like that could be considered emotionally immature.

Jiang Hai once had a chance to grow stronger—when his parents passed away. If he had been left alone at that time, maybe he would have matured faster. But his wife's presence kept him living in a dream. Now that his illusions had been shattered, it was hard for him to suddenly become more mature.

If Jiang Hai were to mature, he would need to endure a significant blow. But, in his current situation, what kind of hardship could he face?

He wasn't involved in risky investments or complicated financial dealings. He wasn't surrounded by wealthy social circles. As for physical threats like fights or kidnappings? He doubted he'd be afraid of that. A man who couldn't even be tempted by a honey trap wasn't exactly likely to stumble into danger while staying home all day. How could he possibly encounter a life-changing blow?

Still, his personality made him an ideal friend for some people—like Cindy Clive. For someone like her, having a friend like Jiang Hai was reassuring. At the very least, she could be sure he wouldn't try to deceive her.

As for the future? Well, that was a question for another time. Right now, she wasn't thinking about any romantic development with Jiang Hai.

After all, they had only met four times. Even in a relatively open-minded country like the United States, things didn't move that fast. It wasn't just about finding someone for a one-night stand.

"Okay, I'll head inside. See you!" Cindy waved goodbye, turned around, and walked into the villa behind her. As soon as she entered, she noticed three pairs of eyes watching her from the living room. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Cindy gave them a small wave.

"You're still awake?" she asked to break the silence.

"I'll take these to the kitchen. You guys chat," her father, Old Clive, said, standing up and taking the bags from her. As a father, it wasn't his place to ask too many questions about his daughter's personal life. His wife, although not Cindy's biological mother, had been a good maternal figure. It would be better for them to have this conversation.

"Alright," Cindy nodded and handed the bags to her father. After hanging her coat on the hook by the door, she shivered a little from the cold. Unlike Jiang Hai's house, which was kept at a constant 24°C, her home was much cooler—around 12 or 13°C.

Knowing there was no avoiding the conversation, Cindy walked over to the sofa and casually picked up the TV remote to change the channel.

"Sis, were you with that guy all day today? Oh my God, did you two go to a hotel?" Karma Clive, Cindy's younger sister, asked excitedly. Cindy rolled her eyes. Were high school students always this direct nowadays?

"Of course not! I just took him around Boston. He's been here for months and hadn't seen the city yet, so I acted as a tour guide," Cindy explained with a sigh.

"Yeah, right," Karma teased. "There's no way a tour guide looks as good as you! Come on, did he make a move? You came home pretty late..."

"You have such an overactive imagination. Why don't you try writing a novel?" Cindy teased, amused by her sister's gossiping.

Hearing this, Karma paused, feeling uncertain. Had she misunderstood? But looking at her sister, Karma found it hard to believe Jiang Hai wouldn't be tempted by someone as beautiful as Cindy.

"Alright, Karma, stop pestering your sister," their mother interjected. Turning to Cindy, she added, "Cindy, I know I'm not your biological mother, but I've always treated you as my own daughter. You're 26 now—if you meet someone you like, you should give it serious thought. That young man seemed like a decent guy. I heard from Karma that his financial situation is quite good. While we're not after his money, it's good to know he's stable. If you have feelings for him, why not give him a chance?"

Cindy smiled. "Mom, you're overthinking it. I've only met him four times. If it weren't for him donating $60,000 to our school to build a new wing, I wouldn't have even taken him to Boston."

Still, as Cindy spoke, her mind wandered to Jiang Hai. From the shy, awkward boy in the morning, to the confident gambler in the afternoon, and finally to the determined man who fought off a dozen people to recover his wallet in the evening. Not to mention the beef...

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about him. But she could admit that she liked him—as a friend, for now.

As she reflected, a sudden thought struck her.

Beef!

"Ah!" A scream echoed from the kitchen. Cindy, her mother, and Karma all ran in, worried something had happened.

In the kitchen, Old Clive stood frozen, clutching his head as he stared at the bag of beef in front of him in horror.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Cindy asked, confused.

"Superior grade A beef. Top-grade marbled beef... cooked like this? It's unforgivable!" Old Clive wailed dramatically, picking up a piece of cooked steak from the plate. His expression looked more heartbroken than if he had been physically injured.

Karma scratched her head in confusion. "Dad, it's just beef. Why are you overreacting?"

Old Clive's eyes widened. "Just beef? Just beef? Look at this marbling! The distribution of fat is exquisite—this is clearly the finest marbled beef. I remember seeing something like this in a high-end restaurant in Japan years ago. The fat pattern is like a work of art! Do you know how much this beef costs in New York? $400 per pound! And you're telling me it's 'just beef'?"

Karma and her mother were stunned. "$400 per pound?"

"It's okay," Cindy muttered sheepishly. "That's just the steak we had tonight. I brought another piece back, and it's still raw."

Relieved, Old Clive sighed. "Good. At least we can cook that one properly."

Sure enough, Cindy's guess was right—the beef was top-notch. But Mrs. Turner had ruined it with her cooking.

As Cindy watched her father fuss over the steak, she couldn't help but think of Jiang Hai again.